 |
| Fluidmesh wireless Ethernet products were used to get data back to the security control centre |
The City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management needed to secure critical infrastructure at 30+ remote locations with perimeter detection systems and video surveillance. Since there were no engineering drawings dating back to the construction to show where the underground tanks are located, trenching and boring was not an option.
Additionally, wireless signals had to extend across the Chattahoochee River - an intake for one of their main facilities. In order to get the data from all of the unmanned remote facilities back to the security control centre, the installation had to be done aerially - and wirelessly. Line of site and adequate signal were major challenges.
Solution:
A mesh network was created to meet the Department's security and data requirements. This resulted in substantial cost savings and guaranteed there would be no damage to underground tanks.
Project description at a glance:
The City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management retained Siemens Industry/ Building Technologies Division as the integrator on the project. Because the infrastructure didn't support hard wiring, a secure wireless mesh network was required.
Bill Cariota, Sales Executive for Siemens, had worked with Fluidmesh on previous projects and was confident in the technology. "We were able to expand on the existing system at the river intake," he explains. "We went in with a base system and added antennas and additional access points. Line of site was a challenge, and we had to make sure we were pushing adequate bandwidth and correctly setting the cameras. We used both the Fluidmesh 1100s and 2200s and Pelco PTZ and fixed cameras. Everything went in very smoothly."
Because the remote locations were unmanned, the Department of Watershed Management also needed to have AT&T network connectivity. Network connection points were brought in and the Fluidmesh network was leveraged to push both video and Internet data. "The client only needed one network drop, and is saving major bucks with AT&T charges," Cariota notes. "It's so important to have the backing of both the manufacturer and the local rep," he adds. "Fluidmesh really comes through with everything we need, which is why Siemens has embraced Fluidmesh as a proven technology that works for us."
Alan M. Nutes, CPP, Security Manager for the City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management, states that: "The installation of the Fluidmesh wireless networks has substantially reduced the costs involved if we were compelled to trench and run conduit to the network. In addition, the capabilities of the Fluidmesh system have provided us with an enormous amount of flexibility by permitting us the means to further reduce costs by not requiring network circuits to be run to each of our sites. We have experienced no downtime since the introduction of the Fluidmesh network to our remote locations and we plan to further expand the network as a result."
